Cambodia

What you need to know as a tourist of Cambodia?

The country consumes a lot of fish from the Mekong delta and the Tonle Sap rivers. These fish are cooked in various sauces such as soya, oyster, tamarind and black pepper. Some of the delicacies include Num Banh Chok, Amok, Ah Ping as well as fried ... read more

Cambodia

What you need to know as a tourist of Cambodia?

The country consumes a lot of fish from the Mekong delta and the Tonle Sap rivers. These fish are cooked in various sauces such as soya, oyster, tamarind and black pepper. Some of the delicacies include Num Banh Chok, Amok, Ah Ping as well as fried spiders, which is a street food delicacy. Kuy Teav, a pork broth rice noodle soup, is the most popular dish in the country. Cambodia has quite a lot of ATMs that accept international credit and debit cards. And most restaurants and cafes, malls and hotels also accept these cards, but beware of extra charges.

Cambodia has very limited health insurance packages for travellers and tourists, and it is advisable to avail such insurance from home. It does however, have general clinics which serve the purpose of general treatment. It is also advisable to get vaccinated before heading to the country. The tourism industry contributes a large chunk towards the economy of Cambodia. Various laws both protect and uphold the rights of tourists.

The Visa requirements for Cambodia are largely flexible and easy obtained. Most North American and European nations can obtain a Visa on arrival at any one of Cambodia’ international airports or international checkpoints of other South East Asian countries or from an Embassy. An average backpacker’s budget in the country ranges from $15 to $30 per day depending accommodation, food, water, local transport and entertainment and any other miscellaneous expenditure. Hiring a tuk tuk (cheap mode of transport) for the day can come up to $13 or 52000 Riel. The country is home to many famous temples, where the prices are often highly inflated.

The Ankor Wat temple complex is world famous and visited by millions of people during the year. The capital city of Phnom Penh’s nightlife, Sihanoukville’s beaches and the temples of Siem Reap are equally as renowned.

How ecologically aware and developed is Cambodia?

The country of Cambodia is also an ecological treasure trove. It is home to a wide variety of plants and animals which includes hundreds of species of birds, reptiles, mammals, fish, shrubs and herbs. Much of this biodiversity is a gift of the Tonle Sap Lake and the surrounding biosphere which has become conducive for all these species.

The Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve is a special reserve that aims to protect the lake that it surrounds, along with the ecology and natural habitat. It encompasses the lake and is also a part of many eco-tours in Cambodia which focus on the biodiversity and ecology of the region. Other key habitats include the dry forest of Mondolkiri and Ratanakiri provinces and the Cardamom Mountains ecosystem. These mountains are also comprised of important centres such as the Bokor National Park, Botum-Sakor National Park, and the Phnom Aural and Phnom Samkos wildlife sanctuaries.

The Worldwide Fund for Nature has demarked and recognised all these regions as key centres for preservation of biodiversity and environment in the country of Cambodia. The eco-tourism industry of the country has been booming in the recent years. However, the rate of deforestation in the country is one of the highest in the world. The future sustainability of the green cover of the country is under severe threat because of the activities of illegal loggers.